[sword-devel] One thing That I would like to see...

Tue Feb 15 20:10:59 MST 2005

Now that I have someone from Crosswire.  I am going to now include the letter that I FIRST sent and e-mailed Tyndale.

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to you today on behalf of the Crosswire Bible Society. They have created several software programs that can be used to study the Bible. They are offering them for FREE. I would like to ask you to graciously allow the Crosswire Bible Society to use the New Living Translation as part of their software. They would be providing this add-on for FREE to users of their software.

The program that I use from them is called The Sword Project for Windows. It is provided for FREE and to have the New Living Translation as part of it would help me to read and understand the Bible in a lot better way then looking just at a book. I really like to use the computer and having the Bible in a translation that makes more since than any other translation that I have found on computer would allow me to find things in the Bible must faster then looking through a book.

I am a great admirer of the Student’s Life Application Bible. I was given one in paperback when I graduated out of the Children’s church when I was in the 5th going into the 6th grade. Less than a month ago I had my parents purchase for me this same Bible in hardback because I loved the original one so much that it started to fall apart. I am now in the 11th grade. As you can tell I must really find your Bible to be a blessing to me to have purchase the same thing again after 6 years if use. 

The Crosswire Bible Society is willing to pay a SMALL fee to use the New Living Translation of the Bible with their software. Please direct any questions or concerns to The SWORD Project; P. O. Box 2528; Tempe, AZ 85280-2528.

I want to thank you for the your time and pray that you take this into consideration. I pray that you would allow the Crosswire Bible Society to use your wonderful Bible translation that has made such a difference in the way that I understand the Bible.

In Christ,

David Abbott

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to you today on behalf of the Crosswire Bible Society. They have created several software programs that can be used to study the Bible. They are offering them for FREE. I would like to ask you to graciously allow the Crosswire Bible Society to use the New Living Translation as part of their software. They would be providing this add-on for FREE to users of their software.

The program that I use from them is called The Sword Project for Windows. It is provided for FREE and to have the New Living Translation as part of it would help me to read and understand the Bible in a lot better way then looking just at a book. I really like to use the computer and having the Bible in a translation that makes more since than any other translation that I have found on computer would allow me to find things in the Bible must faster then looking through a book.

I am a great admirer of the Student’s Life Application Bible. I was given one in paperback when I graduated out of the Children’s church when I was in the 5th going into the 6th grade. Less than a month ago I had my parents purchase for me this same Bible in hardback because I loved the original one so much that it started to fall apart. I am now in the 11th grade. As you can tell I must really find your Bible to be a blessing to me to have purchase the same thing again after 6 years if use. 

The Crosswire Bible Society is willing to pay a SMALL fee to use the New Living Translation of the Bible with their software. Please direct any questions or concerns to The SWORD Project; P. O. Box 2528; Tempe, AZ 85280-2528.

I want to thank you for the your time and pray that you take this into consideration. I pray that you would allow the Crosswire Bible Society to use your wonderful Bible translation that has made such a difference in the way that I understand the Bible.

In Christ,

David Abbott
Here is the response that I recieved from Tyndale.

Thank you for your letter David. I was not aware of the Crosswire
Bible Society, but found it on the internet and it certainly looks like
a worthwhile ministry.

We won't be able to grant permission to place the NLT in your software.
Over a dozen software companies license the NLT and it wouldn't be
fair to those Christian organizations and companies if we allow someone
to offer it free. We are working on a number of projects that will
offer handheld formats of the NLT for $20 or less, so cost will not be a
big issue. Prices are coming down as downloaded formats replace CD's,
etc.

That said, the NLT is available on the internet for free viewing at
several sites (our own www.newlivingtranslation.com , at Gospelcom and
others). We limit the number of sites offering the NLT and arrange
partnerships with large ministries and companies.

Thanks very much for your interest. Let me know if you have further
questions.

Dan Balow
Director of Rights and Licensing
Tyndale House Publishers
351 Executive Drive
Carol Stream, IL 60188 USA
Phone - 630-784-5276
danbalow at tyndale.com 

Here is my responce back to Dan..,.
I do not work for the Crosswire Bible Society.  I am helping them with this as this is something that is REALLY important to me.

I realize that it wouldn't be exactly fair because the other companies are selling your Bible with their software.

The Sword Project is for people who for whatever reason don't want to or can NOT purchase software.  There are some people who for whatever reason cannot spend $40 and up on software.  There are also people that are using this software in countries where there would be NO other way for them to have the Bible on the computer because if the governments in these countries would go and harm or kill these people.

I realize that there are several websites where the NLT Bible are on.  They just want to be able to use it to help people who ordnarly would not be able to have this tool.

I realize that Tyndale House Publishing Inc, is in business to make money.  ANY business is.  The Crosswire Bible Society WILL pay for the use of your Bible text.  You would need to work this out with them but...

I pray that you would respectfully check into the Crosswire Bible Society and that you and your department would maybe reconsider.  The Crosswire Website is at http://www.crosswire.org and here is a link to a page that describes a littlebit more of what the Crosswire Bible Society is all about http://www.crosswire.org/biblesocieties.jsp.  Here is the main Sword Project Website  http://www.crosswire.org/sword/index.jsp.  On this last webpage there are links to more information about what the Crosswire Bible Society is all about and why they believe that This should be something that is given away for FREE to people to help them to understand the Bible.

Thanks,

David Abbott

I realize that I might have said something that maybe weren't right in my first post to this board.  I realize that they need to protect their property and that it costs TONS of money to create a new Bible translation. 

I just and frustrated at the responce that I have recieved and feel as if Crosswire hasn't really been trying to do anything about this issue.  I have e-mailed copyright at crosswire.org and have recieved NO responce.  And I have e-mail another e-mail there and likewise have recieved NO responce.

I pray that you would be able to get rights to all of these Bibles and I realize that there are TONS of people using your software and that as your software becomes better than this number will grow.  You work is something that I feel is very important.

Thanks,

David Abbott
ddb1 at sbcglobal.net

Chris Little <chrislit at crosswire.org> wrote:

Let me clear up a few possible misconceptions...

The Abbott Family wrote:
> I would really like to see some of the modern Bible translations 
> included in the Sword Project, like the NIV (New International Version) 
> and the NLT (New Living Translation).
> 
> I use the NLT alot but I don't have it on the computer. 
> 
> I realize that there are copyright issues and that Tyndale in this case 
> MUST grant the Sword Project permission to use their Bible translation.
> 
> I have written a letter to Tyndale House only to have a man from their 
> e-mail me and say that he couldn't grant my request because you guys 
> would be giving it to people for FREE and they have contracted with all 
> of these companies that are selling it.

Based solely on this account, it seems that the representative from 
Tyndale is misinformed. First, while CrossWire might prefer to 
distribute translations for free, we certainly do not require this of 
publishers. We are willing to work with them to allow the sale of Sword 
unlocks for modules.

Second, the idea that because they have contracts with other parties to 
sell translations and therefore cannot give away copies also is just 
plain bunk. Crazy stupid bunk. Unless made contractual promises with 
licensees that they would not ever give away copies (which would, itself 
be very, very stupid), this just false. My mind is reeling from how much 
this reasoning just doesn't make sense.

> Please someone down there at Sword please call, write and e-mail these 
> GREEDY ORGANIZATIONS and ask them that they share with people who are 
> less fortent or those who don't like to PAY FOR SOFTWARE and ask them to 
> please let the Sword Project have access to their Bible translations.

Requiring licensing fees does not make an organization greedy. 
Translations cost money to make and their translators are, both legally 
and biblically, permitted to recoup that cost and to profit from that 
work. The fact that Tyndale, Zondervan, Lockman, etc. require a 
licensing fee in order to use their translations is their prerogative. 
It certainly doesn't limit your access to the Bible. You can use a 
couple of dozen English translations for free, many with modern 
language. (The situation for non-English Bibles is often worse, I admit, 
but national Bible societies still have the right to use and license 
their texts as they see fit.)

CrossWire wants to make OUR work available, free of cost, to anyone who 
would like to use our software. Although we would love for others to do 
the same, we do not impose OUR values or the principles under which we 
operate on third parties, such as publishers.

--Chris

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